Why this…'
by antaress9
Summary: The merge of a demon gives a blessing to the second life. Tough, blond mother-figure & its child…, Akatsuki…, Hebi…, & chaos…. Currently on hold.
1. Chapter 1

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Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I just mess with his characters…XD

Summary: The merge of a demon gives a blessing to the second life. Tough, blond mother-figure & its child…, Akatsuki…, Hebi…, & chaos…

Warnings: superstition, anger, jealousy, little of the violence here & there…, boy-x-boy relationship shall be further on…

"Talking"

'_Thinking'_

"**Kyuubi taking"**

'_**Kyuubi thinking'**_

* * *

'_**Why this…?!'**_

* * *

'_**Why this… Naruto…'**_

'_I thought you were my friend…'_

_It's not insignificant to me… _

'_**Why this…'**_

'_I was happy… really-really happy…'_

_There's no question… _

'_**Why are you doing this…?'**_

'_Ever since that day…when you finally acknowledged me…'_

_You're one of the one's I want to fight the most…_

'_**Why… why go so far…'**_

'_I made a promise…'_

_You're my closest friend… Naruto…_

'…_**Naruto…'**_

'_But now… you are seriously trying to…'_

"Huh… I told you… it's too late, Naruto!" He charged his left hand with full strength, aiming directly at the source of his prey's life-line… with _Chidori._

'_**No!'**_

'…'

…

'…'

'…_the pain… the unforgivable pain… What is this…? Why does it hurt so much…? _

…_I can't feel anymore…_

_I don't care... I don't care if I'm bleeding… I don't care if there's something in my right shoulder… _

…_I don't care…_

_My heart… it hurts so much…_

…_I thought we were friends… _

…_If that was truly the case… then how stupid am I…?! Sasuke…'_

_You managed to divert the blow with your left hand at the last second… but in the end it doesn't matter, does it? _inwardly smirked Sasuke, as he yanked his hand out of Naruto's body, with the other hand still holding Naruto's jacket's collar.

"You're finished!" Sasuke grabbed Naruto's neck with his left hand and started squeezing it, "this is the end!"

_Time slowed down… … … _

Slowly Naruto opened his eyes, ignoring the fact that he was being choked to death…, he came to Kyuubi.

"Kyuubi…" Naruto whispered, gazing down at his hands with emotionless look in his once bright eyes.

Without any response, the large fox wrapped one of its tails around its vessel; the fox picked him up from the ground, through the bars, and placed him onto the furry back, leaving one of the tails for support round Naruto's lying figure.

Naruto lay on his own back, staring at the endless ceiling of his mind. Without him even noticing, the landscape changed – creating dark depths of the forest and leaving skies as black and empty as his now crushed heart.

"What should I do?" Naruto's whispers were echoed through the darkness.

'_**Since he came to me, fully aware of who or what I am… he must be truly desperate,'**_ sighed Kyuubi._** 'Annoying mortals!'**_

The large creature settled its massive body under a huge tree and peered through the thick darkness of the mind's-forest. **"You do realize who you are asking…?! I would gladly ponder your head fully hopping for the kill… However, I have my honor; taking advantage of someone's weakness is insufferable."**

Naruto kept quite. He was still gazing into the darkness of his now lost mind.

Kyuubi closed its eyes and inhaled deeply. **"Let him go!"**

Naruto blinked a couple of times but didn't say anything.

"**You cannot interfere with one's desires… even if it is for a so called 'friend'. There are always times when we must do things on our own, which can't be helped by anyone but ourselves. Interfere and you shall break the person. If it goes so far as the said person is ready to go for the kill… you should not stand in the way."**

"His decision is reckless…! He would be better off if he would go jump of the mountain for all I care, but not skip into the clenches of Orochimaru… although it's just the same suicide anyway."

"**He shall learn his lesson." **

"You're making poor conclusions."

"**I'm saying this because you won't bring him back. I am fully aware of your strength, but… I am also aware of your weakness. You won't have the guts to harm him.****"**

Naruto lowered his gaze, keeping quiet.

"**He is determined to go, while you are determined to bring him back without any attention on hurting him…much; as while he is trying to kill you. You'll get nowhere."**

"Why is this happening…?"

"**Reality check… you should be aware that there are far worse things than this. Especially what you've been through as a child…" **Demon stated the last sentence in whisper.

Naruto felt his breath slightly clench. Even though in his mind the time slows down, it still has its pace. And Sasuke was slowly killing him.

Kyuubi heavily exhaled, **"…Let him go to whatever the hell the thing is that he is going to, Naruto. **

**If you keep him here… he'll go mental. And as much as I would like that to happen, I know you'll never get over the thought on blaming that on yourself."**

Naruto sat and brought his knees up, burying his face in them.

"**Don't hurt him much…, let him fear you and drain him from his strength. You don't have to make him acknowledge you anymore… you already proved yourself… that would be enough… for now…" **was the last thing Kyuubi stated.

_Time went back to its normal pace at the Valley of the End… … … _

Naruto felt the lost of his breath slowly drain away. He undeceived his eyes and reflexively grabbed Sasuke's wrist… almost breaking it, if Sasuke wouldn't have pulled it away in time from his neck.

Mixing his chakra together with Kyuubi's, he succeeded in scaring the hell out of confused Sasuke by slowly spreading mixed-chakra around his body – healing the wound with incredible speed and directing a medium amount of killer-intent towards the pride Uchiha.

Their fight continued till the lightning struck the clouded sky. One was trying to shake the other off and miserably dodging all the unexpected blows directed to him specially; while the other was simply trying to come unstitched – directing every deserving punch towards his 'friend'.

Naruto fought with as much strength as he was allowed to; comparing it with Sasuke's level. At the end, he finally brought Sasuke to full exhaustion, thus trying to mimic himself doing the same thing.

He was much stronger than he allowed everyone to see…

"This will be the last of it… Naruto." Sasuke weakly, yet much too confidently, said, already covered in Orochimaru's seal.

Naruto sadly watched his once-was-friend do the necessary hand signs for _Chidori._ He felt himself flinch at the now tested power of that _thing_, as well as bringing a slight ache in his right shoulder.

Rising his hand as well, he gathered chakra for the _Rasengan._

With one last look at each other, they charged…

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Naruto woke up, feeling a light beating of someone's heart and a breezing wind running through his hair. He lidded his eyes open and blinked a couple of times.

Kyuubi had forcefully made him sleep, since he was mentally deaf and exhausted and wouldn't listen to the fur-ball. That would be because he actually came to a stage on almost killing the poor Uchiha.

Reason for fur-ball's reaction in stopping Naruto was simply the predicament on the banishment from the village for the murderer of the last of the Uchihas.

"Kakashi-sensei…," came a weak whisper from a certain blond. As he recognized who was caring him on the back, jumping from tree-branch to tree-branch, running through the forest towards the village.

Kakashi looked over his shoulder at the crushed 11-year-old, who was looking into nothing.

"Where's Sasuke?"

Kakashi just kept looking at him while jumping through the forest, giving no answers, not even slight sounds of some sort.

Naruto didn't even need to hear anything… he already knew…

Slowly he lid his eyes shut, not bothering for anything… he needed time… he needed space…

He went to Kyuubi and curled onto its back, drifting off to sleep.

Kyuubi glanced at the 'pathetic-excuse-for-a-human' and subconsciously wrapped its three tails around him protectively.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kakashi arrived at the hospital and was immediately met by Shizune and two medics. She directed him in, and he quickly followed her.

In the halls they passed Shikamaru and Temari on the way.

Shikamaru, as soon as he saw his blond-friend unconscious, wanted to follow until he felt a hand holding his shoulder, he looked at Temari who slowly shook her head. He sighed and set down.

'_Temari looked just as depressed as I was when we saw Naruto, for some reason…'_ Shaking the thought off… for now, Shikamaru continued nervously playing with his fingers, waiting for any results of his friends' health.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

It's been a month now… a month when everyone from the _rescue mission_ had finally recovered; all save one – Naruto was still unconscious.

Current Hokage became very nervous, since she couldn't figure out why Naruto wouldn't wake up!?

He was practically sleeping; he was not in the stage of comma or anything in that matter… he was just… sleeping.

Not to mention the slick leaches of a council, that kept butting in. Scared that the demon might come out… Slowly they started to take in the newest events to their advantage and try and crush the demon for good, since none of them believed that a puny-child such as Naruto can actually be able to control the power of the devil itself.

Tsunade was targeted back and forth – from the slimy-council till worried-friends of Naruto's.

It took a week long 'research' from Jiraiya to finally understand why Naruto didn't want to wake up.

"He's with Kyuubi," said the old-pervert.

"Kyuubi?!" Tsunade looked at Jiraiya as if he just did a chicken-dance. "Why would he be with Kyuubi?"

Jiraiya shrugged, "I've no idea… Maybe the thing brought him there on its own accord?!"

"Do you think it's taking control of him? Takes advantage while he's in the weakest state? Members of the council have their suspicions too."

"I don't know, Tsunade!?" Jiraiya sighed. He was getting just as confused and scared as she was.

"What should we do? What if it is so? What if Kyuubi will…"

"No!" came a low voice from a new-comer.

Both of the Sannin looked at Iruka standing in the door-way. "Naruto is just desperate…" Iruka closed the door behind him and went to sit on the couch, "As much as Naruto is confused or suffers right now, he will never allow Kyuubi to take over… that much I know… I fear that he's just unable to confront anyone right now…

…Maybe even ever again…"

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Naruto was mentally kicking himself for the pain and suffering he had caused to his real friends. Chouji and Neji were at critical state, with the rest of them pulling through with minor injuries. He himself would have been in the middle of Chouji's and Neji's state if it wasn't for the Kyuubi.

Thanks to Kyuubi's strong scent, he was able to sniff the status of his friends, who were at the same hospital as he was put in.

By the time the month had passed, he finally settled down. Knowing that everyone was now fully healed, he started regaining his own strength – physically and mostly mentally. So he settled himself for meditation, and kept on sleeping for another week.

The blond-boy locked himself in his mind… he didn't allow anyone to either search it or enter it… he simply blocked everything and everyone.

Tsunade was by all means not happy with that. She wanted Naruto out of his mind and on to his feet as soon as possible.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"What are you doing, Naruto?" Iruka was sitting next to Naruto's bed on the chair, gently running his fingers through sleeping Naruto's hair. Naruto was now really skinny, not that the he wasn't skinny before, but now it was just too much. His hair grew over his shoulders; however, his skin color remained just as lively as ever.

"I didn't want to face anyone…" suddenly said the dry voice of Naruto's.

Iruka almost screamed, but instead he settled for falling of the chair.

"IDIOT!" Jumped Iruka from the floor, and stared his luxurious speech,

"What-did-you-think-you-were-doing? Do-you-have-any-idea-how-worried-I-was? Do-you-know-that-all-your-friends-are-pounding-Tsunade-and-me-every-night-and-day-almost-non-stop? Do-you-have-any-…"

"I'm sorry…" whispered Naruto, leaning himself against the headboard and lowering his eyes to look at his hands.

Iruka momentarily calmed down. Feeling a rush of guilt going through him, he took a seat on Naruto's bed and pulled him into a tight hug. Naruto returned the hug, thus calming down himself.

Hearing Iruka's scream, the door swung open revealing one worried Hokage. Seeing Naruto awake, she pushed poor Iruka away, who had to suffer another fall to the floor for the second time, and jumped Naruto into another tight hug, making Naruto blink more than once.

She let him go and prepared herself…

"YOU IDIOT!" roared Tsunade.

"I already said that!" stated the lying Chunin on the floor.

"What were you thinking?" she continued.

"I already said that too!" meddled Iruka, making himself comfortable on the floor.

"Why didn't you wake up?"

"…Nope… must have forgotten about that one…" loudly thought Iruka.

"DAMN IT, IRUKA! Get off the floor and shut up!" roared Tsunade, making Naruto blink more than he had already.

The current Hokage looked back at Naruto and calmed, "How are you feeling?"

"I think… it should be asked… the other way around…" Naruto quietly stated, staring at Tsunade's unusual behavior.

Tsunade glared at chuckling Iruka, who seeing her looking at him turned his chuckle into cough.

"I'm ok!" said Naruto laughing a bit himself; earning warm looks from both adults.

Then he saddened, already aware of what they are going to ask him. Turning his gaze to the window he said, "He… got away. I couldn't… retrieve him…"

Naruto told them about the fight he got through with Sasuke; skipping the main events he concluded the story as a failed mission.

Tsunade was now sitting on the chair by the bed, with Iruka sitting at the end of Naruto's bed.

"Naruto… why didn't you wake up?" finally asked Iruka.

"I needed time… to think…, to calm down… and… to accept… the truth," Naruto answered honestly.

"Naruto… were you with Kyuubi?" wondered Tsunade.

"…" Naruto didn't answer. He was scared and somewhat ashamed that he went for the comfort to the demon and not to the ones that were worried about him.

The fox knew him well and would never foist him with countless questions. Even though Kyuubi despised all living things, mainly people, it never judged him for anything; it was more pleasant for Naruto to stay with the demon than anyone else.

"Naruto… if you're scared, don't be… we won't tell anyone… we're just worried. Please tell us if you were with Kyuubi?!" asked Iruka.

"Yes…" hesitantly confirmed the blond.

Tsunade jumped, "Did it take advantage of you? Did it scare you or threaten you in some way or other?"

Naruto just shook his head and said, "Kyuubi… … …comforted me."

And for the third time that day Iruka had to fall to the floor, however this time – out cold.

………………………………………………………………………………………………


	2. Chapter 2

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'_**Chapter 2'**_

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"Hey, Shikamaru, Choji! Where are you off to so fast?" yelled Kiba, waving to his friends.

"Ah…hey, Kiba! Heard that Naruto was finally awake!?" informed Shikamaru not stopping in his track, with Choji quickly following while eating something.

"No way! Come on, let's go Akamru!" excited Kiba told his dog and ran after the couple.

All three of them arrived at the hospital and went to Naruto's room. Shikamaru was about to open the door but stopped in his track when he heard voices. They kept quiet and decided to listen. Though they did not know that Naruto had already sensed them and knew they were listening.

"Where is Sasuke-kun, Naruto?" the trio recognized the squeaky voice as Sakura's. "Where is he? How could you not bring him back? What if he is hurt somewhere?"

The trio was fuming with anger. "Who does she think she is?" quietly roared Kiba, "Does she even not know what happened to all of us just for the sake of that bastard?"

"If she treats her own team-mate that way, why would it matter to her if the rest of us were dead?!" thought Shikamaru.

"I am sorry… Sakura… I wasn't able to… bring him back," came a weak voice from Naruto.

"No… it is ok, Naruto," it could be clearly heard that she was practically forcing those words out. "It was foolish of me to ask you something like that… I wouldn't expect you to actually succeed. I mean… you against Sasuke, come on…"

"What do you think you're doing?" the door swung open and Kiba rushed in yelling and glaring-daggers at Sakura, who jumped at the voice.

"Do you even know what he's been through, just for the sake of your precious _Sasuke-kun_?You don't even disserve to be here, let alone talk to him. You are a disgrace to all women."

Sakura restrained her tears and with a loud 'humph' she stormed out, almost slipping on Choji's dropped pack of chips.

Kiba and rest of the trio turned to Naruto, but before they could say anything the door swung open yet again and the room was greeted with _youthfulness_.

"NARUTO-KUN, THE YOUTH OF FIRE BURNS IN YOUR HEART WITH DIGNITY. I AM SO HAPPY THAT YOU ARE FINALLY AWAIK!" yelled the 'handsome-beast' while walking in to the room along with Neji and Shino.

"Geez, Lee, could you repeat that, I'm afraid I did not catch you at first," roared Kiba while rubbing his poor dog-ears.

"Naruto, how are you feeling?" asked Neji ignoring everyone else, going farther into the room and taking a seat at the right-end of Naruto's bed.

Naruto shrugged, "Ok… I guess…"

The rest of the gang followed Neji's method shortly after. Shikamaru sat at the other end of Naruto's bed, Kiba holding Akamaru on his lap took the chair next to Naruto's left with Choji on his right, Shino went over to sit on the windowsill and Lee decided that standing would be youthful, so he just stood next to Neji.

"Ano…Naruto-kun, we met Sakura-san on the way out, she looked angry… is something wrong?" asked Lee.

"Damn right there was something wrong!" yelled Kiba, "That pink-thing has a loose screw to screw in!"

"She came in and started lecturing Naruto about Sasuke, not even giving a care for the state he's in," Shikamaru concluded before turning back to the blond, "Which reminds me… Naruto, what happened?"

Naruto was still gazing at his hands; ever since they all walked in he avoided their eyes, even Sakura's.

"He… got away…" Naruto's voice has yet to be adjust, since he hadn't been using it for a month and a half, it's still kind of hard for him to speak.

"That we know…" Shikamaru tried to sound as soft as possible to at least somehow encourage his blond-friend, "…and I don't care about Sasuke, I want to know what happened that you had to be in the hospital longer than anyone of us."

"…" the blond stayed silent.

"Naruto, please…"

"…" Naruto looked Shikamaru in the eyes and then back at his hands, "I needed time… to… face you…"

"What are you talking about?" asked Kiba.

"The mission was a… failure…" Kiba wanted to protest but Shikamaru kicked his chair with his left-leg shutting him up. "…and…you all… almost died…because of…me…"

"Now wait just a-…-Oof-," Kiba started to roar again until Shino stuffed his mouth with bugs.

'_They deserve the truth…' _soothing the ache in his heart, Naruto shakily exhaled.

"I…"

'_But… it will… it will hurt…' _he closed his eyes, _'…I don't want to hurt them… they will be angry…'_

"I…am…" the breathing became slightly harder.

'_But…I don't want to lie to them either…'_

"…sorry…" he felt something wet slide down his cheek. For the first in a long time he was crying.

"Naruto, what's wrong?" everyone was getting really confused and worried.

Slowly crushed-blond opened his eyes looking at his hands – they were shaking.

'…_I don't want to lie to them…' _

"I…let him…go…"

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Room went silent. They didn't know what to say… how to react...

Should they yell, be angry or just keep quiet? They just went through a mission that almost killed them… only to find out that the target was simply _let go_…?!

What should they do...? They just didn't know…

Naruto closed his eyes, preparing for the worst.

Suddenly the door opened, everyone, save Naruto, looked at the new-comer and subconsciously shifted in their seats. By the door now stood misty-green eyed redhead, the sand-nin – Gaara.

Room became even quieter than it was before. The tension could be felt in everyone. It took a couple of seconds, for everyone's relief, to notice the gourd on Gaara's back missing.

'_So he didn't come to kill us…'_

Paying no need to the others, Gaara kept staring at Naruto, who didn't even flinch.

Shikamaru thought it would be better if they would leave now. So he started to drag everyone out, especially Kiba who wouldn't budge.

The door closed and momentarily there were five curious ears pressed by the door and one white-eyed staring through the wall.

Shaking his head lightly at the childish behavior, Gaara went over to Naruto.

Naruto was still looking at his hands until he felt a small shuffling of his bed-sheets followed by a hand on his left shoulder. Looking up he was met with two misty-green eyes that curiously were looking into his lost-blue ones.

Naruto didn't say anything just lowered his gaze.

"Naruto, what happened to you?" deep voice met Naruto's ears.

"I'm…" Naruto began, but then shook his head. _'I don't want you to be mad at me too…'_

"Naruto… I'm not mad at you…" Naruto blinked once-twice, and then saddened again. "Just tell me."

Naruto took a shaking breath and said quietly, "…I …hurt them… I made them suffer… because of…"

"Don't even try it, Uzumaki," Gaara cut him off, "this is by all means not your fault."

"…they almost… died… for nothing…" Naruto whispered, "…I could bring him back… but I… I choose… to let him go…"

"…and I know why you did it…" Gaara closed his eyes.

Naruto slowly lifted his eyes to look at him.

"Naruto… he was your best friend…, you wouldn't bare the guilt you would feel after you'd bring him back… seeing him slowly go insane, for being prohibited from the only thing he lives for… he would go mental… and that would make things much worse."

Behind the door, everyone in the _interception's_ _section_ saddened, somewhat finally understanding why Naruto did what he did.

"Hey, you six! What are you… eavesdropping?!" came a loud voice from Kankuro, who just walked into the hall along with his sister Temari.

"Shut up, puppet!" whispery-yelled Kiba still keeping his ear on the door listening. He could hear Gaara mumble something.

"What are you doing here anyway?" raising a brow asked Shikamaru to the two siblings.

"We came with Gaara, he wanted to stay till Naruto wakes up," simply explained Kankuro.

"Why would he want to see Naruto?!" not understanding a thing, thought Kiba out-loud.

"Well… let's just say that he came to a stage in respecting him," informed Temari.

"Wha-…?" Kiba was somewhat confused. "Why would…" Kiba wanted to know how Gaara could respect anyone, but was interrupted by a 'chip-lover'.

"Is he talking about us?" wondered Choji, drawing everyone's attention back to the listening, including the two Sand siblings who found nothing better to do, so… might as well listen too.

"…you know… they should thank you for being honest with them. After all you didn't tell anyone about what actually happened on that mission but the ones who were there," stated Gaara while looking at the door, as if talking to them and not Naruto, though only Neji could see him doing that.

All eavesdroppers felt guilt wash over them.

"Did he really lie to the Hokage?" asked Lee. The others just kept quiet.

"They are… mad at…me…, they hate…me…" whispered weak voice of Naruto's, causing the others to receive a painful thud in the chest.

"No, Naruto… you can't do that! It's nobodies' fault… you can't keep beating yourself like this… Sasuke does not deserve it… none of it!" Gaara squeezed Naruto's shoulder tighter, "They are fine; nothing happened to them, you already know that."

Gazing back at his hands Naruto kept quiet.

Gaara sighed, "I am actually surprised you let him go, let alone allow him to win. Was I in your place I would've killed him."

"I… thought he was… my… friend…"

"Naruto… he almost killed you…"

Everyone outside the door gasped.

"What king of a friend does that?! If it wouldn't have been for _it_, you would have died for sure."

Naruto shadowed his eyes under his hair-bangs.

"It's even better that he is gone… he would not hesitated to kill you once you brought him back, let alone anyone else here as well."

Naruto still didn't say anything.

Getting pissed Gaara yanked Naruto's shirt up revealing a huge scar on his right shoulder.

Out in the hall Neji went wide-eyed, _'How could I not have seen this before?!'_ Hearing the gasp behind him, Lee asked, "Neji, what is it?"

"Look at this! Look what he did to you!" they could hear Gaara yell.

Not bothering to answer Lee's question, Neji stormed into the room, followed by the others after a couple of confusing seconds.

Getting out of his daze and going to his surprise – Naruto winced in his seat, _'Why didn't I sense them? Have they been listening the whole time?' _

Gaara quickly let go of Naruto's shirt and it fell down covering the wound, however Neji already saw it. He quickly walked to Naruto and pulled the shirt back up. All the rest of the new-comers gasped at the huge scar.

"What a hell is this, Naruto? What is this?" harshly asked Neji, still holding grip onto Naruto's shirt. Naruto turned his head away.

"You all must have thought he just let him go without giving him a well deserved _goodbyes_, did you?" asked Gaara, eyeing the wound before lowering his gaze, "You should know better!"

Now it was just embarrassing, they accused their friend for almost nothing…

It's true – they thought Naruto had pulled off to be the luckiest of them all. Facing his friend in a fight…what bad could actually happen?

And what's the deal with Gaara… How come he knows so much…?!

"Naruto…" Neji stared but trailed of in his thought; curiously he pulled Naruto's shirt's back side up only to gasp again, "Oh my God," he said in low whisper, "it…it went through your flesh."

The rest of the eavesdropping gang accompanied Neji in his shock by coming closer to eye the healed, yet visible, wound.

After calming his confused and shocked state, Shikamaru heavily exhaled and sat near Naruto on the bed on the opposite side from Gaara.

Lowering his gaze, Shikamaru apologetically whispered, "Naruto… I am sorry…"

Ok… that was not what Naruto had expected for him to say. Not looking at the lazy-nin, he once again found his hands a lot more interesting, but kept listening anyway.

Shikamaru swallowed but kept speaking, assuming Naruto's silence as an unspoken sign to continue, "I am sorry for accusing you as the cause of that failed mission and for the near loss of our friends' lives…, not bothering to realize the reason behind all this. I am sorry…"

Shikamaru looked at Naruto only to see him looking back. A small smile appeared on Naruto's lips, making Shikamaru sigh in relief and smile as well.

Munching his chips smiling-Choji nodded, once a while offering Naruto his chips as a sign of his apology and forgiveness, but Naruto refused.

"Ok, don't think that I will forgive you that easy, shrimp…, since I am very angry right now; however… I am angry, but then again I am actually not… so… I will just say it," peculiarly pondered Kiba, "I also am sorry for accusing you…, if it would've been me going against Akamaru, I would have done the same thing you did. I just didn't see Sasuke the way you once saw him I guess…"

"Nice comparison Kiba, Akamaru's a dog," said Kankuro.

"I'm just saying, Ok!?" 'humph'-ed Kiba.

"Naruto-kun, you always think about your friends' well being first, it is the very essence of youth! Forgive me for misgauging you!" Lee respectfully bowed his head.

"Hmm, I guess you chose Sasuke's fate to go its own way," said Neji, finally letting go of Naruto's shirt.

Naruto gave a sad smile, lowering his eyes to stare at his covered legs.

'…_I could see it… in their eyes… sorrow and forgiveness…'_

"Thanks guys!" smiled Naruto, making the rest of them smile as well, except for Gaara who usually finds it quite difficult.

"No prob', man!" cheered Kiba together with Akamaru.

Getting no answer the last time, Neji didn't give up, "Naruto… the wound…" he asked nodding his head towards Naruto's shoulder.

"It was _Chidori_," Shikamaru lazily answered before Naruto, knowing fully well that it would be very hard for him to answer Neji's question.

"_Chicken_, wha-…?" Kiba asked, but then remembered that weird jutsu Sasuke used once, "You mean that sparkling-thing he used in the Chunin-exam on Gaara?! Wait…he used that on you?" he roared disbelieved.

Naruto flinch at the memory, but did not say anything.

"Where do you think that healed hole came from then, Kiba?" butted Kankuro.

Ignoring 'the puppet', Kiba continued, "I can't believe he really did try to kill you," he stared wide-eyed, "…and to think of it… I guess it really was the best way to let him go… though I would agree with Gaara on the killing part…"

"Making everything better for everyone but yourself…, isn't it… Naruto?!" not waiting for an answer Neji knowingly continued, "Since you didn't have the heart to kill him, which would be the next best thing, you let Sasuke go for the sake of what appears best for him and the others. As Gaara already mentioned he would no doubt go insane if he wouldn't have gotten his way and be taken back here, and by letting him go you assured that he won't endanger everyone back in the village with his imbalance – mainly us – since we would probably be his first alternative to kill, for going after him and ruining his one chance in getting what he wants. You took the first best thing that seemed satisfying for both – the villagers and Sasuke." The blond closed his eyes, refused to say anything to that.

"…and now you're taking all the blame on yourself," concluded Neji.

After a moment of peaceful silence, Naruto finally whispered, "Sasuke told me… I've become his closest friend… and for that… he said that he will kill me…" No one said anything, just listened. "At the end of our fight… he dragged himself to my lying body… and just stared at it… he didn't even try to finish me off… he just left… and… that was why… I didn't change my mind… in letting him… go…; I just couldn't kill him…"

"So you faked your unconsciousness?" asked Temari.

Naruto kept quiet. He reached under his pillow and took out Sasuke's scarred headband, allowing the rest to eye it.

"I planted that scar…" a little laugh was coming between the blond's words, "…he thought I couldn't do it…"

Running his fingers through the scarred line on the headband's symbol, Naruto spoke, "…I guess it's official then…" silence occurred until he sadly continued, "I officially made him a missing-nin."

Closing the azure-eyes, Naruto whispered to the air, "Sasuke won't come back…"

………………………………………………………………………………………………


End file.
